1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to data-output apparatuses, and particularly relates to a data-output apparatus that outputs digital data supplied via a communication channel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the office environment or the like, a generally employed configuration is that a printing apparatus such as a printer is shared by a plurality of computers via a LAN or the like. A printer accessible from a computer transmitting data in such a configuration is limited to those directly connected to the LAN to which the computer is connected, and it is not possible to output data on a remote printer beyond the boundary of the LAN.
Against this background, Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. 5-002541 discloses a system in which a computer transmits data by email, and a printer receives the email to print the data. In this system, data that is transmitted via email is automatically printed out, and, thus, is not suitable for such an environment as a large number of unidentified users share the use of the printer since printouts in such an environment should not be accessible by anyone else other than the owners of the printouts.
In order to keep the printouts out of reach of strangers, Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. 5-143253 discloses a system in which the printer manages and controls passwords or personal identification numbers of the users. This system, however, requires passwords or personal identification numbers to be registered in advance, so that it is not perfectly suitable for use by a large number of unidentified users. Also, there is an additional load on the printing apparatus such as the printer since the printer needs to allocate some of its resources to management and control of the password or the personal identification numbers.
Accordingly, there is a need for a data-output apparatus that can attend to remote outputting of data received via email in an environment suitable for use by a large number of unidentified users.